People and property
A crash or collision can injure people and damage property.
Safety
Safety
In short: fly within visual line of sight, away from people and restricted zones, look after your batteries and find out the rules in advance. Below are the risks, what you can do and what to avoid.
Risks
Manned aviation
Flying near airports and helipads is dangerous and, as a rule, prohibited.
Batteries
Damaged lithium batteries can catch fire during charging and storage.
Legal risks
Breaking flight and filming rules may lead to liability.
What you can do
- Before flying, check the rules and no-fly zones in your country's official sources
- Keep the drone within visual line of sight
- Set the altitude and signal-loss behaviour
- Respect privacy: do not film people without their consent
What to avoid
- Flying over crowds
- Flying near airports, military and secured facilities
- Flying in strong wind, rain or poor visibility
- Charging batteries unattended
Situation — action — limitation
| Situation | Action | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Signal loss | Wait for automatic return, if it has been set up | Works only with a good GPS signal and a correctly set altitude |
| Low battery warning | Bring the drone back immediately | Charge drops faster in the cold |
| People appear nearby | Fly away or land | — |
| Battery has swollen | Stop using it and dispose of it properly | Do not try to "discharge and test" it |
Sources
- EASA — drone rules in the EU
- business.gov.nl — summary of EU drone rules
- Rosaviatsia (Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia)
The advice on this site does not replace the manufacturer's manual: models differ considerably. Flight rules depend on the country and region and change over time, so check them with the aviation authorities before every season.